Learning never exhausts the mind
-Leonardo Da Vinci
I am looking forward to this module, after being stressed out and exhausted in my previous modules due to work commitments, shifting job roles and home life conflicting with my studies, I found it really difficult to juggle. I still managed to get good grades in both of the previous modules, but I want to make sure this module is well structured and I have things in place to ensure success and minimise stress. Week one has been about planning, which takes time but in the long run it will be worth it to have the organisation and structure in place.
I have now shifted into a UX/UI role from Graphic design so now I have even more employer support in terms of time I can commit to personal development, as it now fully aligns with the business needs.
Things I have put in place to ensure I am on track:
- Created reflective blog templates based on Gibbs reflective cycle to save time and create structure
- Synced my Uni diary to my work one so I can keep track of what I am doing and need to do.
- Looked at entire module and created categories and tags in advance to save time
- Plans for collaboration with other students to bounce ideas and discuss the module, not working in a bubble to help generate ideas and gain feedback
- Time management, I have specific time blocks laid out to complete reflections, the assignment brief and weekly challenge activities
- Created a folder structure for notes and weekly reading for references and reflective journal entries
Firstly what is design?
I think design is communication through shape or form, its process of imagining and planning the creation of objects, systems etc. It is about creating solutions for people, problem solving. It is both the process and the result. It is intentional and unintentional, meaning the process can be intentional and the result unintentional.
What is user experience?
As I wrote in the university forum when this question was asked – I describe it as the intersection between psychology and design, it’s about making clear pathways and predicting behaviours to help guide users through a product to reach their goal in the least annoying way possible.
It’s advocating for users, thinking about accessibility and thinking about business goals, smooshing it all together and hopefully creating the easiest way for both business and user to get what they want from a product.
To expand further, UX exists because every system you interact with has an experience associated with it, it is about digital and real world experiences and connecting the two.
UX differs and it depends on expectations, goals, desires, culture, needs, feelings and context. I believe having a good grasp of intersectionality, sociology, along with psychology, human behaviour and business strengthens your ability to create intuitive user experiences.
User experience is a skillset and a mindset and having an empathetic way of thinking always makes you a better designer.
UX is an insurance policy for business it saves money, reducing operating costs, users more likely to stay engage and build loyalty, it can increase revenue. reduce waste, limit rework and increase sales.
The UX design process is not just about the end goal, uncertainty patterns and insights lead to clarity and focus there are many steps in the design process and many different options
Design Thinking
- Desirability are we solving for the right pain point, solution must have or nice to have.
- Feasibility are we building on strengths testing if it strengthens business and
- Viability. does our solution contribute to long-term growth testing value chains for long-term sustainability
5 step process
- Empathise – observe engage with users and immerse yourself in uncovering their needs
- Define – unpack and synthesise findings into compelling needs and insights
- Ideate – generate radical design alternatives
- Prototype get ideas out of your head into the real world
- Test get feedback, refine and continue to learn about users
All research problem space opportunities define constraints and explore possibilities and define down to decide the best solution
The 4 d’s
- Discover user problems
- Define specific user problems
- Design potential solutions to user problems
- Deliver viable and feasible solutions
Divergent thinking involves more creativity and multiple solutions to a problem Convergent thinking focuses on reaching one. I have looked at different creative thinking processes in one of my earlier posts here.
Learning is a process where knowledge is presented to us, then shaped through understanding, discussion and reflection.
-Paulo Freire
This week I looked at what UX is, what design is and the different design processes and due to the challenge activity I also explored Physical Experience Design (PXD) combines and leverages an array of traditional design disciplines (such as UX/UI, industrial design, architecture, interior design, behavioral design and more) to build places in new, unique, innovative, and impactful ways. (DeLeon, 2018) Which is interesting due to a recent refit at my place of work with potential for future improvements. This entire module is aligning to what I do at work day to day and exploring physical UX has helped with planning where to put screens for visitors and what to put on them. Researching
Having previously researched what UX is, what design is and having worked in design for a long time, I am familiar with the processes involved and apply them to every day project work. It is always helpful to refresh this knowledge though as new perspective changes how you view topics, so as my experience in work expands and evolves, the context of the things I am learning about takes on a new meaning sometimes. For example the double diamond (diagram above) I have used a combination of this process naturally without really realising it was in fact the double diamond, I was more familiar with 5 step process, design thinking and combining different ways of working to get the best result for projects Im working on
Part of my reading included refreshing my knowledge of J.P Guilford’s (1967) work around convergent and divergent thinking which I found particularly interesting in the first module while speaking about creativity.
People interpret the world based on their context, a physical experience is no different. It’s important to take into account the spaces and environments that bookend an experience. (DeLeon, 2018) This goes for physical experience and digital user experience, how you feel after you have interacted with a product or been to a physical place influences how you interact and whether you choose to go back. I was chatting to a co worker about this during a meeting recently after I had explained why something needed work a certain way and she used this analogy ” If I invite you to my house, and my house is filled with rubbish and it is uncomfortable to move around and I make you feel like I don’t want you there you wont come back, this is this no different.” You cant expect people to come back to an unwelcoming house so why expect people to come back to a bad user experience and I think that summed it up pretty well. Physical experience design coupled with UX design and creating a new space for someone like I did in my challenge activity this week has been really helpful and got me thinking about digital physical space like VR and video games. I would like to explore this further as I would like to work in game UX in the future and I am already trying to learn things like unreal engine and trying to figure out 3d programmes as a hobby.
My reflections on UX, the design process, and physical experience design have spanned a range of key domains associated with my practice, including user research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and physical environment design. Additionally, I have addressed important key skills associated with my practice, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. While I have attempted to address these domains comprehensively, I recognise that there is always more to learn and explore, and I plan to continue to deepen my knowledge in these areas.
UX design, the design process, and physical experience design are critical components of creating successful products and services. Having implemented some of the learning in a working environment and seen how important it is to consider physical experience design along with User experience design to create a holistic brand image for visitors and users and by engaging in self-reflection, critical analysis, and ongoing learning, I plan to continue to develop my practice and create user-centered designs that meet the needs and expectations of users. I am committed to continually deepening my understanding and skills in UX design, and to achieving my career goals through ongoing self-criticism and reflection.
As I continue to develop my practice, I plan to continue to explore relevant academic literature and create case studies and portfolio items to support my work. I have never really kept up to date with a portfolio and it has let me down. I would also like to explore more emerging technologies like VR and AI, I plan to research these emerging technologies and design methodologies to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in UX design. Additionally, I plan to start learning more about different areas of UX for example in video game design, I like the idea of designing virtual physical space as a user experience in a game.
1. Contact the classmate you have been paired with. The earlier the better – we recommend this to take place no later than Wednesday.
2. Write down some (5-10) questions you think will give you an understanding about how your partner uses their desk space.
3. Interview your partner (over video call or the phone – whatever works for you) about their current behaviours with their desk space. Ask them to describe items they currently have on it, send a photo etc. Ask them what’s working and what’s not. Take notes. Record if you have permission [~15 minutes].
4. Switch roles and repeat Step 3
For this challenge activity we were paired up with a random person from the group. We did our questions via email due to having a heavy work load and being unable to find time to fit in a call.
I asked the person I was paired with a number of questions and for photographs to show the space they were talking about. The questions and answers were as follows below.
What do you use your desk for ?
In the daytime I use it to work from home twice a week, in the evenings I use it for University purposes and on the weekends to play games and watch Netflix.
Tell me about last time you organised your desk space
Last time for me was when I started my new job, back in July. I trying to empty the space and have enough space for taking notes in the meetings.
Tell me about your habits with using the desk ?
I tend to sit by the desk for work and when I need to focus on Uni work but I found it daunting to spend there to much time. I usually move a lot with tablet/laptop if possible.
Tell me about any special requirements you have for your desk space
As mentioned, before I think my main need is just space for a notebook/sketchbook so the desk must be big enough. Ideally it would be set in a quiet room.
Tell me about all the items you have on your desk?
On top of my desk there is just my work laptop and headset as well as a second monitor and of course said notebook. I try to keep the desk empty as to many things make me overwhelmed.
Do you like your desk space?
I like the desk but dislike all the wires.
Is your desk space comfortable ?
I think it’s comfortable but sitting for too long is not.
What would you change if you could?
Maybe some storage solution for the wires and a standing desk would work better looking at my current issues.
1. Evaluate the current design and contents of your partner’s current desk. Define a problem (or set of problems). Write a sentence that describes what you think the main problem is [~10 minutes].
2. Have a follow up interview if you feel you need to.
From the answers there are a few problems:
- Sitting for too long can become uncomfortable
- Messy wires can cause problems and does not look tidy
- Need space for note taking and sketching
- Spends a lot of free time at the desk as well as work time
1. Redesign the space based on your peer interview. Write or sketch your ideas [~30 minutes].
Based off the answers to the questions and looking at the space I have a few suggestions for improvements.
- Buy a desktop sit stand workspace
- Get a dock and cord protector tubing to tidy wires
- Get a desk extender to create a note taking space that can be hidden away when not in use
- Try to create a different space for Netflix and Gaming to create a divide between work/uni time and free time.
- INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION 'Gestalt Principles' https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/gestalt-principles [accessed 06 June 2022]
- GUILFORD, J.P (1967) Creativity, yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Journal of creative behaviour 1(1), pp.3-14 doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.1967.tb00002.x
- DeLeon, R. (2018). 10 Principles of Physical Experience Design. [online] One Design Community. Available at: https://medium.com/capitalonedesign/10-principles-of-physical-experience-design-711bef279bf2 [Accessed 30 Jan. 2023].
- DIETRICH, A (2004). The cognitive neuroscience of creativity. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11(6), pp.1011–1026. doi:10.3758/bf03196731.
- UX Magazine. (2015). Let’s Get Physical. [online] Available at: https://uxmag.com/articles/lets-get-physical. [Accessed 30 Jan. 2023].
The Design thinking playbook
Lewrick, M., Link, P. and Leifer, L., 2018. The design thinking playbook. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.